IGG: Many police officers used forged documents to join police, earn promotion

The Inspector General of Government, Irene Mulyagonja has said investigations are on going into circumstances under which a number of police officers joined the forced and also earned promotions to higher ranks using forged documents.

The IGG’s office launched investigations into circumstances under which over 200 cadet officers at the rank of Assistant Superintendents of Police(ASPs) joined the police force in the financial years 2014/15 and 2015/16 using forged academic documents.

Speaking at a meeting with anti-corruption agencies in Kampala, Mulyagonja said that many of these police officers have risen to higher ranks but using forged documents.

“In the course of verification of these documents, it was discovered that a number of police officers used forged documents and had uttered these documents during recruitment but had been promoted to higher ranks,”Mulyagonja said.

She however explained that many of them are in lower ranks whereas others joined as cadets.

Mulyagonja who didn’t name the said police officers said her office had recommended that they are prosecuted but not that this has never been effected.

“If we cannot guard the gate of entering the police, can we guard the gates of people,” she wondered.

However, the police director in charge of Research and Training AIGP Edward Ochom who represented the Inspector General of Police said they had not yet received the said report.

“It was given to the Police Authority and not police management for implementation. I am sure something is being done about it,”Ochom said.